Hooked on the Most Surprising Thing.....


These Spiral Cellars are tapping into that primal romanticism, the same sort that led us to build forts out of blankets and chairs and progress to treehouses with "Keep Out" signs as we got older. The only difference is that this cellar design has a rather more grownup function.

The Spiral Cellar system was developed in 1978 by a Frenchman who saw that few modern houses had wine cellars, but that people still needed a place to store their wine. If a wine-lover has a serious collection it can quickly outgrow wine racks and refrigerator units. So he came up with the Spiral Cellar design, which uses the earth to insulate and create good storage conditions. It does this, however, in a fraction of the space of a regular cellar. It also can maintain a constant temperature with no power required.
A spiral cellar is dug into the floor by a professional team, and the cellar storage itself is created from concrete wrapped in a watertight lining. Passive ventilation keeps the temperature around 55°, an ideal temperature for wine storage. There are several sizes, holding from 1000-1600 bottles.
Of course, this is one indulgence for wealthy or well-off wine drinkers only. The Spiral Cellar purchase and installation runs at least $30,000. One site reported that there is an option to buy a kit and install the cellar yourself, but we can't find this on their current site; it may not be offered anymore. This cellar price, though, is still much cheaper than installing a full-blown, climate controlled wine cellar in the basement.
I'm hooked on this, are you too? Come join me with Julia at Hooked on Houses, to see what others are hooked on. Or check out FiFi with Fashionable Fridays, because I believe this is very fashionable!
21 Others Say::
I'd hate to make a wrong step in here!! Best to close the door if you are actually drinking the wine :)
The very best place to be during a tornado warning. Safe and soused.
That is GREAT! I went on a home tour a few years ago and that is exactly what they had in the center of the kitchen... but not a spiral staircase. AMAZING!!!
Wow. I love it! Thank you sharing that...I do love dreaming of what I will have when I finally have my castle!
Wow! I've never seen anything like this in my life. Amazing!
This is amazing!!!
Alfazema
I love those spiral cellars, too! But I have no need to store wine ... sigh
Wow! That is crazy cool! I have never seen a cellar built into the kitchen floor. That's convenient. I like what Susan said about closing the door if you are drinking the wine...LOL! I got a little dizzy looking at the pictures...
~Misti
This is the coolest thing! I haven't seen anything like it.
Fantastic idea - I've never seen anything like this...
Thanks for sharing :)
That is incredible!
Wow! I can honestly say I have NEVER seen this.ever. Great, how fun would that be??
:) Lidy
Wow, how cool to find a spiral staircase under the kitchen! Thanks for sharing these photographs. ~Arleen
This sounds pretty cool....but it's not my cup of tea....or should I say....glass of wine...I would not be very comfortable standing on a glass floor with a big whole underneath, or god forbid dropping something heavy on it,like a bottle of wine.
That is one of the neatest things I have seen in a long long time. Thanks so much for stopping by my place and sharing this. I'm afraid to show it to my husband. I know he would want one and I know I would somehow find a way to kill myself. Plus it is expensive.
What a great idea~
What an interesting option for wine storage...so modern.
Wow that is surprising! How fun!
Wow, this has my claustrophobia raging tonight! It gave me chills..but not the good kind.
I can see how others might enjoy it!
Wow, that is crazy! I've never seen anything like that before.
I agree with Terry's thinking...great place for a tornado warning!
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